Detection of serum antibody responses in cattle with natural or experimental Neospora infections

Parasite-specific antibody responses were detected using an indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test in cattle that were naturally or experimentally infected with Neospora parasites. The test was developed using Neospora tachyzoites isolated from an aborted bovine fetus and grown in bovine cell cultures (isolate BPA1). In all cases, infections were confirmed by the identification of Neospora tachyzoites and/or bradyzoite cysts in fetal or calf tissues using an immunoperoxidase test procedure. Fifty-five naturally infected cows that aborted Neospora-infected fetuses had titers of 320-5,120 at the time of abortion. The titer of 6 cows that were serologically monitored over a prolonged period decreased to 160-640 within 150 days after they aborted infected fetuses. Two of the cows showed an increase in their Neospora titers during their subsequent pregnancy, and they gave birth to congenitally infected calves that had precolostral titers of 10,240-20,480. Postcolostral titers of these calves and of 4 other calves with congenital Neospora infections were all > or = 5,120, whereas calves with no detectable parasites had titers < or = 160. Two pregnant heifers that were experimentally infected with the BPA1 isolate at approximately 120 days gestation seroconverted to Neospora antigens within 9 days and developed peak titers of 5,120 and 20,480 within 32 days of infection. The fetus taken by caesarean section 32 days postinfection from 1 heifer and the full-term calf born to the other had Neospora titers of 640 and 10,240, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Comparison of magnetic resonance volume flow rates, angiography, and carotid Dopplers. Preliminary results

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We compared the results of conventional angiography, carotid Doppler, and magnetic resonance angiography volume flow rates to determine the clinical utility of volume flow rate assessment of blood flow to the anterior circulation in patients with carotid occlusive disease. METHODS: From 11 symptomatic patients, a total of 22 extracranial carotid arteries were studied with all three techniques. The studies were independently read, and regression analysis was used to compare the measurements. RESULTS: Carotid Doppler measurements of the distal extracranial carotid arteries were proportional to the inverse of the extracranial carotid volume flow rate (r = .53, R2 = 29%, P < .01), volume flow rates were proportional to the inverse of measured percent stenosis on angiography (r = .84, R2 = 71%, P < .01), and Dopplers were proportional to angiography (r = .94, R2 = 90%, P < .01). Symptomatic Doppler systolic velocity was significantly higher (P < .002), symptomatic measured stenosis was significantly higher (P < .002), and symptomatic volume flow rate was significantly lower (P < .01) than their respective asymptomatic-side values. These preliminary observations, however, may well change once a large data set, especially one in which more patients with high-grade carotid stenosis are included, is studied. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of carotid volume flow rates by magnetic resonance angiography quantifies flow reduction secondary to atherosclerotic occlusive disease. The easily obtained flow data add both documentation of arterial flow characteristics related to internal carotid stenosis and information regarding the adequacy of collateral pathways.     

Angiotensin II receptor type 1 mRNA is upregulated in atria of patients with end-stage heart failure

There is increasing evidence that pathological changes in the myocardium during chronic heart failure (CHF) are partly regulated through the activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), an effect mediated by the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R). We examined the expression of cardiac AT1R mRNA in normal (atria, n=7; ventricle, n=3) and end-stage CHF human hearts (atria, n=8; ventricle, n=14). Tissue was snap-frozen immediately after explantation during orthotopic cardiac transplantation; control specimens were obtained from healthy donor hearts rejected for technical reasons. Northern blots of purified total mRNA from each tissue were hybridized with a random primed radiolabeled probe for the coding sequence of AT1R. Stringent conditions were used for both hybridization (5X SSC, 65 degrees C) and washing (0.5X SSC, 0.1% SDS, 65 degrees C) of the membrane. Left and right atrial tissue showed low levels of AT1R mRNA expression in the controls, with statistically significant upregulation of expression in tissue from pathological hearts; CHF atria 1.28+/-0.86 optical density (OD) units, control atria 0.56+/-0.31 OD units, P=0.05 (mean+/-s.d.). There were undetectable levels in ventricles from either control (2/2) or dilated hearts (7/7). The results were independent of the etiology of the heart failure and suggest that increased levels of atrial AT1R mRNA may occur in response to elevated atrial pressures in heart failure.     

X-linked juvenile retinoschisis: localization between (DXS1195, DXS418) and AFM291wf5 on a single YAC

We studied 17 pedigrees with 108 affected males with X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (RS; McKusick No. 31270) and have analyzed all of the known polymorphic markers in the RS region of Xp22.1-p22.2 between DXS987 and DXS41. By haplotype analyses we found 7 individuals who showed crossovers in this interval surrounding RS. We previously reported AFM291wf5 as the centromeric boundary, and this remains unchanged in the present study. A new recombination was identified on the telomeric side at (DXS1195, DXS418). Our data support the locus order Xpter--(DXS987, DXS207, DXS1053, DXS43)--(DXS1195, DXS418)--(RS, DXS257, DXS999)--(AFM291wf5, DXS443)--DXS1052--(DXS1226, DXS274, DXS41)--Xcen; loci grouped in parentheses could not be mutually ordered by our genetic data. Physical mapping has indicated a distance of at most 900-1,000 kb between (DXS1195, DXS418) and AFM291wf5. No recombination was observed between RS and DXS257 which lies in our new interval of interest, but one critical individual was not informative with this marker. Our data now define the smallest RS inclusion interval. This interval is contained on a single YAC from which we have identified expressed sequences as candidate genes for RS.     

Physiological and morphological heterogeneity of dentate gyrus-hilus interneurons in the gerbil hippocampus in vivo

A variety of morphological types of dentate gyrus/hilus interneurons have been described, but little is known about their corresponding physiological characteristics. To address this issue, intracellular responses to current injection and perforant path stimulation were obtained from putative dentate interneurons in anaesthetized adult gerbils. Our sample of interneurons showed heterogeneity in their intrinsic physiological characteristics and spike thresholds to perforant path stimulation, suggesting the existence of distinct physiologically-defined classes. 'Fast-spiking' interneurons had a low threshold to perforant path stimulation, whereas 'slow-spiking' interneurons responded with predominantly inhibitory potentials. In several cases, cells were intracellularly labelled with biocytin for visualization. Interneurons with different physiological traits had distinct morphological features. These results confirm that, as in hippocampus proper, morphologically identifiable interneurons in the dentate hilus show electrophysiological features that are likely to reflect functionally specific roles in informational processing.     

Rates of reinfection with Echinococcus granulosus, Taenia hydatigena, taenia ovis and other cestodes in a rural dog population in Uruguay

Forced thinking is an incompletely understood and rarely described epileptic aura. We studied three patients with forced thinking from left frontal lesions, two neoplastic and one vascular. All three experienced repetitive, intrusive thoughts at the onset of seizures. Their forced thinking was associated with the desire to vocalize, orobuccal movements, and speech arrest. The episodes occurred with other ictal manifestations and responded to antiseizure therapy. These patients suggest that epileptic forced thinking is a heterogeneous phenomenon; forced thinking from left frontal lesions is a manifestation of expressive language and is distinct from experiential thoughts arising from temporal limbic foci.     

Phenotypic analysis of antigen-specific T lymphocytes

Identification and characterization of antigen-specific T lymphocytes during the course of an immune response is tedious and indirect. To address this problem, the peptide-major histocompatability complex (MHC) ligand for a given population of T cells was multimerized to make soluble peptide-MHC tetramers. Tetramers of human lymphocyte antigen A2 that were complexed with two different human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-derived peptides or with a peptide derived from influenza A matrix protein bound to peptide-specific cytotoxic T cells in vitro and to T cells from the blood of HIV-infected individuals. In general, tetramer binding correlated well with cytotoxicity assays. This approach should be useful in the analysis of T cells specific for infectious agents, tumors, and autoantigens.